idk how to describe the exact thought process that led me to this idea, but basically i was watching a tonne of ins.tagram videos and i think i had hit the fourth video in a row using that interview where it’s like “love ya, bye.” “love ya…………..PFFT–” and i was like. in a way, that’s actually completely adorable, and i was thinking about all the different ways and contexts in which people say “i love you”, and now i’m here to make it everyone else’s problem! so bon appetit! DO NOT ADD TO THIS LIST!! i will add to it in the future!! i will also be making a second list which is virtually identical, but there are two additional prompts that are not suitable for young eyes, so here u go, here’s a sfw version, and remember, if you add to the list i will curse ur shoes to be squeaky 24/7. so just don’t add anything to the list, okay my loves? okay. enjoy!

[  FIRST  ]:     sender tells the receiver “i love you” for the first time.

[  PHONE  ]:     during a phone call with the receiver, sender absently tells them “i love you” for the first time before hanging up.

[  MOUTH  ]:     while standing across a crowded room from one another, sender catches the receiver’s eye and mouths “i love you” to them.

[  WEDDING  ]:     as they prepare to exchange wedding vows, sender gazes at the receiver and says “i love you” for the last time as an unmarried couple.

[  HEAT  ]:     while engaged in a passionate argument with one another, sender, in the heat of the moment, blurts out “i love you!” to the receiver. ( think of like, that glorious trope where people have a huge argument and then suddenly sb drops the mic with “because i’m in love with you!” and silences the other person. u know the trope! )

[  SLOW  ]:     after resisting their feelings for one another for a very long time, sender finally breaks down and reveals to the receiver that they love them.

[  SAVED  ]:    having believed they were both about to die, the sender says “i love you” to the receiver, only for both of them to be spared at the last minute and left to process the not-so-final last words of the sender.

[  OVERHEARD  ]:     sender reveals that they’re in love with the receiver to a third party, not realizing that the receiver, while out of sight, has just overheard the confession.

[  CHOOSE  ]:     sender, realizing the receiver is about to make a huge life-changing decision (literally anything, accepting a job offer, accepting a marriage proposal, leaving the country, ANYTHING!) tells the receiver that they’re in love with them, leaving them to choose between the sender and their original path.

[  DECISION  ]:     sender finds the receiver just as they’re about to make a massive decision that will have massive consequences for the fate of many people, possibly the world. accepting their fate, sender allows the receiver to continue, telling them that they love them, and then waiting to see whether the receiver choose to save the world, or destroy it.  (for the hero/villain vibes bc we STAN THOSE VIBES! )

[  LAST  ]:     believing it to be their last chance to confess their feelings for the receiver, the sender tells them that they love them.

[  ASK  ]:     immediately after saying “i love you” to the receiver for the first time, the sender proceeds to propose to them.

[  BEDSIDE  ]:     while sitting by the sick/injured/unconscious receiver’s bedside, sender reveals that they’re in love with them, unaware that the receiver is able to hear this revelation.

[  TEXT  ]:      before concluding a text conversation, the sender delivers one more text to the receiver, reading “i love you”, before ending the conversation.

[  SACRIFICE  ]:     just before putting their own life in danger to protect, save, or help the receiver, the sender tells them that they love them, and then proceeds to risk their life in an intentional self-sacrificing way.

[  BATTLE  ]:     as they prepare to go on a dangerous mission, sender shares a final moment with the receiver, and tells them they love them, just as they head out to fight.

[  TRACE  ]:     sender, believing the receiver to be asleep, gently traces the message “i love you” on the receiver’s bare skin with their finger.

[  LETTER  ]:     sender delivers a letter to the receiver that reveals their deep love for the receiver.

[  PRIVATE  ]:     sender confesses their love for the receiver by using a private joke or shared story that only the two of them know.  ( example: “remember the day we went fishing on the lake and you fell into the water because you thought that leaf was a sharkfin? that was the day i knew i loved you.”  )

[  NOTE  ]:     on their way out of the house, sender leaves a small note for the receiver to read when they wake up, reading “i love you”.

[  UNSPOKEN  ]:     after a third party (or the receiver themselves) asks if the sender is in love with the receiver, the sender goes silent, unwittingly admitting that they do love them in the process.

[  KISS  ]:     unable to find the right words to express how much they love the receiver, the sender impulsively catches them and pulls them in for a passionate, deep kiss.

[  RAIN  ]:     sender reveals their love for the receiver while they’re both standing outside in the pouring rain.

[  HUSH  ]:     sender whispers “i love you” to the receiver while they’re both in a situation or context where they need to be quiet.

[  UNCERTAIN  ]:     while pretending/acting/undercover, the sender says “i love you” to the receiver, but whether they meant it or not is left unknown.

[  DANCING  ]:     as they slow-dance together, the sender takes the opportunity to lean in close to the receiver and tell them that they love them.

[  QUIET  ]:     on a cozy night in with the receiver, as they curl up together on the sofa/in bed, the sender says “i love you” to them.

[  RELIEF  ]:     upon reuniting with the receiver, whom the sender briefly believed to be dead, the sender emotionally embraces them, and says “i love you” in the spur of the moment.

[  LAUGH  ]:     while laughing at a joke/prank/story that the receiver is humorously displaying, the sender fondly tells them that they love them.

[  OVER?  ]:     after a mutually reluctant (and unwanted but necessary) break-up, the sender calls/visits the receiver and tells them that they’re still in love with them.

[  VOICEMAIL  ]:     sender leaves a voicemail on the receiver’s phone after failing to get through to them, and reveals their love for them.

[  ASLEEP  ]:     sender, having climbed into bed to cuddle the receiver (who they believe to be asleep), tells them that they love them.

[  INCOHERENT  ]:     while sick/feverish/intoxicated/otherwise incoherent, the sender tells the receiver that they love them, leaving the receiver to figure out if they meant it or not.

dialogue starters for first time meetings in historical or fantasy settings.

“forgive my intrusion. have we met before?”

“you walk as one accustomed to long roads.”

“it is rare to find another soul in this place.”

“you bear the air of someone with purpose. may i ask your name?”

“the wind carries your scent of distant lands.”

“you seem far from home, stranger.”

“your robes speak of refinement, yet your eyes tell another story.”

“may i share your fire for a while?”

“it seems fate has led our paths to cross.”

“you handle that weapon with care. a practitioner, perhaps?”

“have you come seeking fortune, or fleeing something?”

“i did not expect company in such a lonely place.”

“you carry a heavy heart. the road must have been unkind.”

“are you a wanderer, or one with a destination in mind?”

“you move with discipline. do you belong to a sect?”

“the way you observe the horizon... what do you see there?”

“i could not help but notice your talisman. a charm for protection?”

“you seem unafraid, even here. that is uncommon.”

“your presence disturbs the silence yet i do not mind it.”

“do you often travel alone, or am i witnessing a rare moment?”

“you look as though you’ve seen ghosts.”

“the stars are kind tonight. perhaps that is why we meet.”

“a name has power. would you share yours?”

“i sense a story behind those eyes.”

“the tea is still warm, if you would sit and rest.”

“do you always meet strangers so fearlessly?”

“you wear no crest or banner, are you unaffiliated?”

“your aura feels… unfamiliar. what manner of cultivation is that?”

“there’s something about you the heavens seem to favor.”

“the world is wide, and yet we cross paths here. curious, isn’t it?”

“your silence speaks louder than words.”

“you carry an old wound. is it battle, or memory?”

“do you seek shelter, or solitude?”

“you’ve seen much, and yet your gaze holds wonder.”

“your voice carries conviction. you must believe in something deeply.”

“even the moon seems to follow you.”

“if i did not know better, i’d say destiny enjoys such meetings.”

“you seem out of place, or perhaps the place is out of time.”

“tell me, stranger. what is it you’re searching for?”

“the night is long. shall we pass it in conversation?”

“your weapon hums faintly. is it bound to your spirit?”

“you don’t avert your gaze. most would.”

“that pendant... it resembles one i once saw in the capital.”

“has the road been kind to you, or cruel?”

“you seem weary, but your steps haven’t faltered.”

“do you believe in omens?”

“you have the bearing of someone who’s seen battle.”

“tell me truthfully, do you trust me?”

“your presence feels... familiar, like a dream i’ve forgotten.”

“you stand as though waiting for someone.”

“if i asked what you’ve lost, would you answer?”

“your hands are steady. a healer’s, perhaps?”

“the forest seems quieter since you arrived.”

“you remind me of someone... though i cannot say who.”

“do you always travel under the moon’s light?”

“you seem untouched by fear. is that wisdom, or recklessness?”

“if we had met under gentler skies, would you still look at me this way?”

“the scent of rain follows you. were you caught in a storm?”

“i wonder, what kind of person leaves footprints like yours?”